There are many patients which, for various reasons, require extended periods of bedrest, such as, but not limited to, patients with movement disabilities, spinal cord injuries, or who have suffered strokes. A number of complications arise from patient inactivity, such as bedsores, urinary tract infections, shortening or weakening of muscles, abnormal muscle stiffness, osteoporosis, impaired blood flow, and impaired respiratory activity. Also, difficulty in moving patients that are unable to move themselves is difficult for caregivers, as not all possible caregivers have the necessary strength, and among those who do, there remains a substantial risk of injury to caregivers and patients when executing such movements.
Some people lose their motor power because of accidents or diseases. This may affect their mental or corporal systems, so they have problems in their usual lives. If one thinks he is a burden for others, this may diminish his interest for continuance of life. To prevent these disorders, many devices were designed to facilitate motor needs of disabled persons. Usage of these devices not only promotes life quality but also increases life hope for disabled persons and their families.
There are many medical devices to aid disabled persons to diminish their problems and impairments. For example, there are wavy mats and rotating beds that may prevent bed ulcers. Also there are types of tilt tables and orthopedic tables. However, these devices have limited efficiency and do not cover some patient needs. For example, bed ulcers are a significant disorder, and may appear only after 4 days if appropriate steps are not taken. Some influential factors in causing bedsores are pressure, humidity, and the existence of bacteria and fungi. The usage of the wavy mattresses is for the prevention of the bedsores. However, the wavy mattresses in addition to their primary high cost impose great expenses for their maintenance and repair. On the other hand, those mattresses are only effective on the pressure factor and are not able to eliminate the other influential factors.
The usage of rotating beds has a positive effect to some degree but also lacks the ability to remove all the factors.
One of the first invisible effects of movement disability is the excretion of calcium through urine. Naturally, if a person stays in bed for three days without standing during this period, the amount of calcium discharger through urine increases by 46% and if this period lasts for two weeks, it could increase up to 83%. Excess discharge of calcium may result in osteoporosis, urinary infections, or other urinary tract complications. Nowadays, for decreasing such symptoms, tilt tables or other equipment which facilitate standing are used. However, to utilize such equipment, the patient must be moved from the bed to the equipment. Such movement cannot be done by normal individuals and require strong nurses, the lack of whom is evident worldwide. Therefore, such equipment can only be used with difficulty in the professional clinics. Hence, such transfer (from home to clinic) and performing the required operations is not only costly but also there is a great chance of harming the person with disability or the person performing the operation. In fact, many of nurses suffer serious injuries while performing such operations. Thus, disabled individuals who are unable to move generally do not enjoy the medical advantages of standing. More examples could be given regarding the weakness of existing equipment.
As indicated before, existing devices have specific and limited usage which could facilitate the partial movement of disabled patients to some extent and decrease some dependencies but could not provide for all their essential needs.
In most cases, complications arising from movement disabilities can spiral out of control. Hitherto, prevention or treatment of the complications arising from movement disabilities has been a rather difficult task, and has been beyond many people's capacities as it imposes great expenses on them, their families, and even society.
In order to prevent and control such symptoms, the necessity for equipment which could better serve the needs of disabled individuals, is felt more and more. In addition to significantly upgrading quality of life for patients and their and their families, such equipment can also increase patient life expectancy.